Rehabilitation Services Administration's (RSA) National Employment Conference
The Rehabilitation Services Administration is sponsoring a National Employment Conference
targeted for Workforce and Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals August 19-21 at
the J.W. Marriott Hotel, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 202-393-2000.
The purpose of this conference is to share effective employment strategies used
by State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies and their network of community
rehabilitation programs and other partners in order to maximize and improve the
employment of individuals with disabilities.
Contact: For Registration information call 202-973-1550 or Contact: Jenn Rigger
at 202-260-2179 or jenn.rigger@ed.gov

68 Grants Announced for the
Serious and Violent Offender
Rentry Initiative

The Justice Department announced the award of 68 grants
to support efforts to ensure public safety and reduce
victimization by helping returning offenders become productive
members of their communities. Reentry efforts will begin while
offenders are still in correctional facilities, continue through
offenders' transition back into the community, monitor their activities
after release, and help sustain ex-offenders through services such as education,
job and life skills training and substance abuse and mental health treatment.
These efforts require close coordination among institutional corrections, law
enforcement, community corrections and other community-based service providers.
The program is an unprecedented collaboration among the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor
and Veterans Affairs, which joined together to help state and local agencies navigate the
complex field of existing grant programs and to assist them in accessing, redeploying,
and leveraging those resources to support a comprehensive reentry program.
Contact:
www.ojp.usdoj.gov

Interagency Council Announces Collaborative Strategy to Assist the Homeless

The Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) has announced a new strategy to better
coordinate the nation's response to homelessness. Included in the comprehensive
plan is a unique collaboration between three federal agencies that will provide
$35 million in permanent housing and critical services to long-term homeless
individuals. The funding will include $20 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), $10 million from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and $5 million from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Contact:
http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr02-078.cfm
or http://www.ich.gov/

Miscellaneous

National Emergency Grant to Provide Transition Assistance to
Workers in Arizona Counties

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced a National Emergency Grant of up to $2.2 million
that will aid workers laid off as a result of the wildfires that caused widespread destruction
in Navajo and Apache Counties. $764,000 will be available immediately.

The grant project will be operated by the state's Department of Economic Security and will
provide temporary disaster jobs in Navajo and Apache Counties to help with the clean up as a
result of the recent wildfires, as well as provide transition assistance for workers who lost
their jobs as a result of the tragedy.
Contact: Stan Flowers (602) 542-1784

OIG Exit Conference

OFAM is scheduling an exit conference on the OIG's
review of WIA performance in four states.
contact:
Jaaron@doleta.gov

From http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/

GAO Testimony: "Observations on the Transition Assistance Program"

Testimony on "Military and Veterans' Benefits" -- Observations on the Transition Assistance
Program was provided by Cynthia A. Bascetta, Director of Education, Workforce, and
Income Security Issues to the Subcommittee on Benefits, Committee on Veterans'
Affairs, House of Representatives.
Contact:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02914t.pdf

SBA Announces Changes in Pilot Loan Program to Increase
Access to Capital for Small Businesses

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has implemented changes to the SBA Express pilot
loan program which will "significantly expand the number of lenders participating in
the program and increase access to capital for small businesses."

To meet the requirements of new and startup small businesses requiring smaller loan
products, SBA will now offer certain incentives to lenders to increase the
availability of smaller loans, especially loans of $50,000 or less. At the same
time, SBA will raise the maximum limit of an SBA Express loan to $250,000, from
$150,000, to allow more small business borrowers to take advantage of
the program's expedited loan process.
Contact:
http://www.sba.gov/news/current02/02-38.txt